Buffing machine



Aug. 29, 1939.. B. JoRGENsl-:N BUFFING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' Aug. 29, 1939., B. JORGENSEN I BUFFING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 1957 4 Sheng-Sheet 2 @L @A ffm" ug. 29, 1939. B. .loRGENsEN IBUFFING MACHINE Filed Jan. 22, 19157 4'Sheets-SheetI 4 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED Nsrzsrms PATENT OFFICE 2,170,901 BUFFING MACHINE Bernhardt Jorgensen,

or to United Shoe Ma Marblehead, Mass., assignchmery Corporation, Pat- 5 Claims.

This invention relates to bufng machines and is herein illustrated and described as embodied in a machine suitable for use in builng lat articles such as soles prior to their attachment to shoes.

I have discovered that in order to obtain a soft velvety finish upon the work piece it is present the Work piece evenly to the buing tool. The presence of any local inequalities of surface contour such as protuber- It is therefore desirable to insure that the sole be presented with a uniformly smooth surface to the builng tool.

It is a purpose of serves to obliterate scratch marks from the abrasive upon the work.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent in the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved machine;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in perspective of the upper portion of the machine;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional View in end elevation of the upper portion of the machine;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a sole to be operated on by the machine;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the progress of a work piece through the machine, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the work piece engaged between the feed and presser rolls.

The supporting structure of the machine consists of a frame Il) adapted to: rest upon the iioor. Journaled 1n bearings I2 which are supported by arms I3 extending from the frame I0 is a shaft I4 upon which are mounted a pair of buiiing rolls I 6 and I8 suitable for use in buffing shoe bottoms. 'Ihe buing rolls of the illustrated machine are of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,984,430, granted December 18, 1934 upon the application of William A. Reed. One of the buing rolls is abrasive of relatively coarse grit and the other with an abrasive of relatively ine grit as is common in bottom builng machines. Secured upon the shaft I4 is a pulley 20 driven by a belt 22 which, in turn, is driven from a pulley 24 mounted upon a shaft 26 which may be driven by a suitable motor or from any other convenient source of power. A brake 2l in the form of a split Vclamp operated by a handle 28 is provided for locking the shaft I4 when the abrasive covering upon one or both of the rolls is to be changed. A stationary post 29 holds the brake 21 from turning.

Mounted beneath and in advance of the buiiing roll I6 is a feed roll 30. A second feed roll 32 is similarly mounted in relation to the buiiing roll I8. The feed rolls 30 and 32 each comprise a thick sleeve of rubber 34 and are each mounted upon a shaft 36 which is journaled at its ends in bearings 38 and 39, respectively. These bearings are mounted for adjustment of the shaft 36 toward and from the shaft I4. To this end each of the bearings is secured are secured, respectively, to the arms I3. Threaded through a lug 46 on each of the brackets 42 is a screw 48 provided at one end with a handle 50 whereby it may be turned. The opposite' end portion of the screw is reduced in diameter and the threads are omitted. This reduced portion passes through a slide 40. Secured upon the reduced end portion of the screw 48 on opposite sides of the lug 52 are a pair of thrust collars 54 and 56 Which, while permitting free turning movement of the screw, force the lug 52 and the slide 46 to move axially as the screw is turned. Extending through a slot in each of the brackets 42 from the bottom of each of the bearings 3B and 39 is a screw 53. A compression ,spring 55 surrounds each of the screws 53. Each 55 of the springs 55 is interposed between a shoulder on a nut 51 threaded on the outer portion of the screwA 53 and a washer 59 which bears against the under surface of the bracket 42. The springs 55 hold the bearings 38 and 39 against their respective gudeways with a pressure which may be adjusted by turning the nuts 51.

Fulcrumed upon a stud 58 on each of the brackets 42 is a pointer 60. A link 62 having its ends pivotally secured to the slide 40 and the pointer 60 respectively communicates any movement of the slide 40 to the pointer 60. Agage plate 64 provided with scale markings is secured upon the guideway 42. Because of the length of the pointer 60 any movement of adjustment of the slide 40 is magnified for purposes of indication and the position of the pointer relatively to the scale markings indicates accurately the distance of one end of the shaft 36 from the corresponding end of the shaft I4. The two adjusting devices, positioned respectively at the ends of the shaft 36, enable the operator to adjust with great accuracy the clearance between the outer ends of the rolls 30 and I6 and the outer ends of the rolls 32 and I8.

Mounted upon the shaft 36 at one end of the roll 30 is a frame 66. A similar frame 68 is mounted upon the shaft 36 between the rolls 30 and 32 and another similar frame 10 is mounted on the shaft 36 at the outer end of the roll 32. The shaft 36 is freely rotatable in the frames 66, 68 and 10. Each of the frames 66, 68 and 10 is secured at its lower portion to a rod 12 and at its upper portion to another rod 14. The three frames and the two rods thus constitute a unitary assembly in which the feed rolls rotate. This unitary assembly is held against axial movement relatively to theshaft 36 by reason of the fact that the intermediate frame fits between the adjacent ends of the rolls 30 and 32.

In the upper portion of each of the frames 66, 68 and 10 is formed a vertical guideway for a bearing block 16. In the bearing blocks carried by the frames 66 and 68 are mounted the reduced ends of a steel roll 18 having a smooth polished surface,rand being considerably smaller in diameter than the feed rolls and the bufng rolls. A similar steel roll 80 is likewise mounted between the frames 68 and 10. The intermediate bearing block 16, i. e. the bearing block in the frame 68, is of sufficient length to accommodate the reduced ends of both rolls 18 and 80. The bearing blocks are urged upwardly by springs 82 against the ends of adjusting screws 84 which are threaded through cover plates 86 which bridge the guideways for the bearing blocks. The screws 84 thus enable the operator to adjust the distances of the steel rolls 18 and 80 from their respective The feed rolls 30 and 32 are provided with gears 88 and 90, respectively, which are positioned on opposite sides of the frame 68. Each of the rolls 18 and 80 carries a pinion (only one of .which will now be described) 92 which engages an idler gear 94 mounted on a stud 95 carried by the frame 68. A second idler gear 96 on a stud 91 which also is carried by the frame 68 engages both the gears 94 and 88 (or 90 as the case may be) therebytransmitting rotation fromV the feed rolls to the steel rolls 18 and 80. The abovedescribed gearing is arranged to drive the presser rolls in the direction of feed of the work and at a somewhat greater peripheral speed than the feed rolls. The drivenpinions and the trains of idler gears are housed in a cover 99 mounted on the frame 68.

A wedge-shaped presser member 98 extends the full length of the bufling and feed rolls and is positioned in advance of the rolls with its thin end or apex extending close to the bite of the rolls. The presser 18 is reduced at its ends to form trunnions which are journaled in the frames 66 and 10, respectively. Extending from each of the trunnion ends |00 of the presser 18 is an arm |02 whereby the angular position of the presser may be adjusted to control the force with which the presser holds the work against the feed roll. Each of the arms |02 is provided with an enlarged end through which is formed an arcuate slot |04 concentric with the axis of the trunnion ends |00. Through each of the slots |04 extends a clamping screw |06 threaded into the adjacent frame 66 or 10. These screws are provided with heads which, when the screws are tightened, serve to clamp the enlarged ends of the arms |02 to the respective frames and thereby to hold the presser member 98 in a desired position of angular adjustment. By loosening the clamping screws and raising or lowering them in their respective slots the angular position of the presser may readily be changed.

Secured upon one end of the shaft 36 is a sprocket wheel |08 which is driven by a chain ||0 which, in turn, passes over a sprocket wheel ||2 secured upon a shaft ||4 which is journaled in suitable bearings carried by a housing I|6 secured upon a bracket I8 supported by the frame |0. A cover I|1 is provided for the chain and sprocket wheels. Secured upon the shaft |I4 is a worm gear v| I9 driven by a worm |20 secured upon a shaft |22 which is journaled in suitable bearings in the housing H6. The shaft |22 is driven by a belt |24 passing over a pulley |26 carried by the shaft |22 and a pulley |28 mounted upon the shaft 26. A pair of idler pulleys |30 and |32 are provided for directing the belt |24 between the driving pulley and the driven pulley |26.

In order to assure a smooth finish upon the work and to obliterate scratch marks from the abrasive the work piece is given a reciprocatory motion relatively to the bufng roll. This is accomplished by reciprocating the feed rolls 30 and 32, together with the presser rolls 18 and 80 and the presser member 98. To this end there is provided an eccentric |34 upon the shaft 26. A connecting rod |36 has one of its ends secured to a strip about the eccentric |34. The opposite end of the rod |36 is pivotally connected to one arm of a bell crank |38 which is fulcrumed upon a pin |40` supported by a bracket |42 secured upon an arm |44 (Fig. 3) extending from the lower portion of the bearing I2. A link |46 transmits oscillatory movement from the other arm of the -bell crank |38 to one end of the shaft 36. The

Vends of the link |46 are connected by ball joints to the bell crank arm and to the shaft, respectively to provide for universal movement. Inasmuch as the rolls 30 and 32 are secured to the shaft 36 the frame 68 and with it the rods 12 and 14 and the frames 66 and 10 and also the presser member 98 will all be constrained to partake of the reciprocatory movement of the shaft 36. Journaled at its ends in suitable bearings carried by the brackets 42, respectively, is a shaft |48 upon which is mounted a rotary brush |50. Upon one end of the shaft |48 is secured a pulley |52 (Fig. 2) about which runs a belt Lio |68 which extends from the frame lil to the brush |50 comconduit |62 Carried by the outer end of the hood |66 is a work table il'il which guides the work piece as the operator advances it to the feed roll. The level of the work table |70 may be adjusted by a screw lf2 threaded through the hood |64 and engaging a suitable abutment upon one of the bearings I2. Depending flaps of felt |13, which yield to permit entry of the work pieces, normally close the forward end of the suction hood and concentrate the draft at the space between the brush and the buiing rolls.

As has already been mentioned, the shaft 36 rotates freely Within the frames S6, 63 and l0. The direction of rotation of the shaft 36, as indicated in Fig. 2, is such as to tend to rotate these frames in a clockwise direction, as viewed in that figure. In order to maintain these frames in a desired operating position there is provided upon one end of the rod 'I2 an eccentric 'l/i which is engageable with a suitable abutment formed upon one of the arms |58 to hold the rod 'i2 and the unitary assembly associated therewith from rotation. The operating position of the feed and presser rolls and of the presser member 93 may be adjusted relatively to the buffing rolls by turning the eccentric |74.

The operation of the machine is best illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The operator places a sole S, which as shown in Fig, 5 may have a skived margin M, upon the Work table Vm with the tread surface of the sole uppermost. He then advances the sole until it is caught between one of the presser rolls and the corresponding feed roll. The presser roll thus cooperates with the feed roll to enable the latter frictionally to advance the work piece. The presser roll is adjusted suficiently close to the feed roll to embed the sole into the rubber cushion 34E of the feed roll. The inequalities in the thickness of the sole as occasioned by its skived margins are thus accommodated by the cushion 34, as indicated in Fig. 7, while the resilience of the rubber cushion presses the tread surface against the presser roll. The frictional characteristics of the rubber cushion insure feeding of the work without slip relatively to the feed roll. The presser rolls which, as already pointed out, have smooth polished surfaces and are driven at a somewhat greater peripheral speed than the feed rolls perform an ironing or burnishing operation upon the tread surface of the sole, compacting the close this end of the conduit |62.v

surface and attening it. This operation is particularly important in obtaining a uniform finish upon the sole inasmuch as it eliminates any slight protuberances or hollows such as normally occur. The elimination of these inequalities of uniformly over the locality beyond the presser roll the sole is deflected by the presser member 98. This member not only helps to curve the sole about the feed roll but also to maintain the sole pressed against the feed roll with the tread surface of the sole in uniform relation to the buiiing roll, the thin edge of the member 98 being parallel to the bufling rolls and The bufiing roll is driven in the direction of feed gaged by the brush |59, which removes any dust adhering to the surface of the work and sweeps such dust into the air stream flowing through the suction hood |64. The finished work piece then drops upon a suitable screen supported Within the receptacle |60. It has already been mentioned that the entire assembly comprising the feed rolls, presser rolls and presser member is reciprocated relatively to the buiiing rolls. The presser rolls 78, by clamping the Work against the feed rolls, insure of its being given a reciprocatory motion relatively to the bufiing rolls.

When access to the buiiing rolls is desired for the purpose of replacing the abrasive covers, the draft hood i6@ may be swung upwardly and back about its pivots |66, and the frames 66, 68 and l@ may be swung in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4, about the shaft 36 until the rod 'i2 engages the receptacle |60.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A bufiing machine comprising a buiiing roll, a feed roll having a work-engaging surface of relatively high frictional characteristics, a polished metal roll, said feed roll and said metal roll being constructed and arranged to grip a Work piece between them with the metal roll engaging that surface of the work piece which is to be buifed, means for driving said feed roll, and means for driving sai-d metal roll at a peripheral speed different from that of said feed roll to effect a burnishing action upon the surface of the work piece.

2. An abrading machine comprising an abrading roll, a feed roll, a Wedge-shaped presser located in advance of said abrading roll With its apex extending close to the bite of the rolls for holding a Work piece against said feed roll, and a pivotal support for said presser constructed and arranged for swinging adjustment of said presser toward and from said feedA roll to control the force with which the presser holds the work piece against the feed roll.

3. An abrading machine comprising an abrading roll,

unison. 4. An abrading machine comprising an abrading roll for operating upon one surface of a Work piece, a feed roll engaging the opposite surface d feed roll having a yielding d roll engaging the first- Work piece with presk piece into the feed roll, ting relative axial reciprocafeed roll and said hard surof the Work piece, sai surface, a hard surface mentioned surface of sure to embed the and means for e tion between said faced roll on the one hand an on the other hand.

5. An abrading mac ing roll, a feed roll o positioned to hold a Wor abrading roll, sai

d said abrading roll hine comprising an abradf relatively large diameter k piece against said tioned in advance of said abrading roll for holding the work piece against said feed roll to maintain the Work piece at its locality of engagement with the abrading roll in a state of curvature, a presser engageable With the Work piece at a locality between said roll of small diameter and said abrading roll to press the work piece against the feed roll and a frame supporting said roll of small diameter and said presser, said frame being mounted for movement of said roll of small diameter and said presser away from said abrading roll to provide access to the abrading roll.

oll having a yielding surface, a roll of relatively small diameter posi- BERNHARDT J ORGENSEN 

